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(N0 Mde.) 2 Sheets-Sheet E. E. CASTLE.

SLEEPING GAR.

N0. 555,281. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

' (No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. E. CASTLE. 'SLEEPING GAR.

No. 555,281. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

IlNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLMER E. CASTLE, OF NORVICII, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO L. B. BASSETT, OF SAME PLACE.

SLEEPING-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,281, dated February 25, 1896.

Applicatifn led December 16,1895. Serial No. 572,316. (No model.) u

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ELMER E. CASTLE, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Norwich, in the county of Chenango and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Cars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in sleeping-cars, and especially to a construction which does away with the folding up of the berths above the seats, which throws an extra amount ot' weight into the top of the car.

In my improved sleeping-car I provide a novel construction whereby the backs of the seats of the cars are hinged at their upper edges to the framework of the seat and designed to swing outward and have their free edges of the two backs meet and held ina horizontal relation by means of fasteners, thus forming the upper berth.

The invention relates further in the novel construction of the lower berths, which are made up bythe provision of folding sections hinged to the front edges of the seats, which folding portions are provided on their meeting edges with fastening devices, whereby they may be held in a horizontal relation. `When the said sections are not adapted for use in making up the berths, they maybe folded under the cushioned seats.

A further aim of my invention resides in providing suitable receptacles for receiving the bedding, which is carried in the space between the backs of the oppositely-turned seats, and the provision of partition-boards, which are also carried, when the berths are not made up, in the space between the backs of the seats, and may be withdrawn and locked to the upper portion of the car when the berths are made up'ready for use.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists further in the novel construction, combination and adaptation of the parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

I clearly illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the let- 5 5 ters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a section of 6a seat supported on suit-able cleats on said seat- 7o sections.

C are the hinged sections, which are pro vided with the fasteners c designed to lock the two swinging edges of the sections to! gether when it is desired to make up the lower 75 berth, and when the berth is folded up the said swinging sections are adapted to fold under the seats, as seen in Fig. 2.

The backs of the seats, which are cushioned,

are pivoted at their upper edges to the sta- 8o tionary portion of the framework of the seatsupport and have secured at their lower edges the fasteners e. The lower edges of the backs are adapted to swing forward and to be fastened together when the upper berth is to be 85 made up, as clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These fasteners which I employ are of the wellknown construction, they being pivoted levers, one end of which swings undera hook on the opposite back, thus holding the 9o backs securely in a horizontal relation.

The partition Gr is provided with an eye g, which is adapted to be engaged by a hook to hold the said partition or board in an elevated position and between each section. per corners of the board are cut away, as seen at K, so that the board may better conform to the shape of the top of the car.

lVhen it is desired to fold up the berths the mattress maybe inserted in the space behind roo Fig. 4 is an enlarged de 6 5 The up- 95 the swinging backs of the seats, as may also the bedding, so as to be out of the Way, and

in a compact shape and of ready access.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim to be new, and desire to secure byLet- In a sleeping-car the combination With the backs of the seats having each a rod secured to its upper rear edge, which is pivoted to the end portions A, the pivoted locking-levers secured on the front swinging edge of one 0f the backs, and the eyes e on the adjacent meeting edge of the opposite back, adapted to be engaged by the said pivoted levers, of

the seats having similar locking-beams on their meeting edges, and the partition G having beveled corners designed to rit in corresponding-shaped portions of the ceiling of the car and means for holding the partition to the said ceiling, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix niy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELMER E. CASTLE. Vitnesses:

JAMES H. THRoor, LISBON B. B issnrr 

